Door chime and call station annunciator



Nov.l8, 1949 w. c. GUSTIN 2,487,541

DOOR CHIME AND CALL STATION ANNUNCIATOR Filed May '7,l 1946 ATTY.

fig. W12` Patented Nov. 8, 1949 DOOR CHIME AND CALL STATION ANNUNCIATOR William C. Gustin, Cincinnati, Ohio Application May 7, 1946, Serial No. 667,819

8 Claims. .(Cl. 177-339) The present invention relates to door signal apparatus and has for an object the provision of a small, simple and inexpensively constructed push button casing for use at an entry door for actuating an interiorly disposed chime or the like, the push button casing containing an illuminable annunciator plate normally serving as a name card for the occupant and selectively arranged for electrical actuation to display Out signal.

A further object is to provide an arrangement wherein a device of this kind which is self-contained within the push button casing may be installed in an existing wiring system containing the usual door push button and interiorly disposed chime by substituting the push button casing assembly of the present invention for an existing one and by providing a manually operable cut-out switch on the existing chime device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a doorbell casing and assembly utilizing small and inexpensive parts.

Still another object of the invention is to provide door signal actuating means affording visible indicia, illumination thereof and audible signal at the door for the guidance of callers.

These and other important objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational View of the push button device of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational View of the device of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of a typical installation of a door signal system embodying the invention.

The push button casing indicated generally at 6 may be of any suitable construction and comprises a front wall 1, side Walls 8 and 9, top wall Il) and a bottom Wall II. Walls I and II may have extended ilanges I2 perforated at I3 for the reception of mounting screws. The hollow interior of the casing is quite shallow and narrow and the height thereof need be only about three times the diameter of the conventional doorbell push button switch. It will be apparent therefore that the device is quite small and neat, and may be made to occupy an area at the side of the door-frame comparable to the average push button casing of the type adapted for thereception of a name card. Front wall 1 has a circular perforation I4 therethroughv centrally disposed closely adjacent bottom wall I I. A push button switch assembly I is mounted in the casing through aperture I4 in conventional man` ner and is of the simple type having two terminals I6 and I1. Directly above push button switch I5 is a horizontal member I8 which may incidentally constitute a lateral strengthening member for casing when the latter is formed of thin sheet metal. On the lower face of top wall I0 is a depending lug I9 from which a small solenoid assembly 20 is suspended from its top bracket 2l by means of screws 22. A transverse window slot 23 is formed in the front 'I of casing 6. Interiorly below the window 23 and alongside solenoid 20 there is supported a miniature lamp socket 24 in which is a small-sized, low voltage glow lamp 25. Solenoid 20 has a light, cylindrical armature 26 to the bottom of which is riveted a non-magnetic, light-weight L-shaped plate 21, the major portion 28 of which lies parallel with and closely adjacent the inside face of front wall 1 of casing 6. The riveted end of the armature 26 normally rests on horizontal member I8 when the solenoid is cle-energized. The nonmagnetic plate 28 covers window 23 in the front wall of the casing and is provided at 29 with cut-out letters spelling the occupants name. 'I'he cut-out or indicia 29 registers with the window 23 when the solenoid is cle-energized. Immediately below the indicia 29, the plate has stamped therethrough the indicia 30 spelling the word Out When solenoid 20 is actuated the plate 28 is raised Yto display the word "out and conceal the indicia 29.

Reference is now made to Fig. 4 wherein the door signal chime mechanism is indicated at 3|, this being understood to be suitably located interiorly of the house or apartment. A suitably located, low voltage transformer 32 having output terminals 320 and 32|, has its terminal 32D connected to terminal 33 of the chime mechanism by a conductor 34. The remaining terminal 35 of the chime mechanism is connectedV by conductor 36 to one end of the winding of solenoid 20, while the opposite end of said winding leads to terminal I1 of the push button switch through conductor 31. A branch conductor 38 connects conductor 31 with one terminal of the glow lamp 25, while the opposite terminal of said glow lamp is connected to transformer terminal 320 by a conductor 39. Glow lamp 25 is desirably of the neon type operable by current alternations of low voltage. At this point it should be noted that in applying the device of the invention to an existing door signal system, the wire 39 or some equivalent electrical connection is required to be supplied if not otherwise available. The terminal I6 of push button switch l'l is connected with the terminal 32| of transformer 32 by connector 40. On the door chime structure 3| there is mounted an off-on pull type switch 4l (shown diagrammatically) which may be operable by an ornamental pull cord 42 for selectively connecting and disconnecting the terminals 33 and 35 through a movable switch arm 43.

When switch varm 43 connects terminals 33 and 35, closing of push button switch l5 will complete a circuit through the member 43 instead of through the chime mechanism, thereby rendering the chime inoperative. The resistance, particularly the usual chime solenoid (not detailed), being out out of circuit, the solenoid 2U is energized thereby lifting armature 2B and raising plate 28 so that the legend Out is brought into registry with window 23, while the push lbutton l5 is held in a circuit closing relation. The output of the transformer being of A. C. variety will eiect, in the energized solenoid 20 and its armature, the usual chattering which serves as an audible sound to attract the attention of the user to the push button casing 6 and in doing so the legend Out is readily noted as it is exposed through window 23 at this time. The glow lamp 25 having its terminals connected in series in the `closed branch circuit will afford sufcient illumination of the perforated legend to render it legible in darkness.

When the house occupant leaves the apartment, switch l which may be of a type commonly referred to as a canopy switch, is conditioned to cause the aforedescribed perfomance and callers are forthwith appraised of the absence of the occupant when pressing the door chime push button switch I5, The chime is of course silenced by this arrangement and other apartment occupants are not annoyed by continued operation of the chimes in the apartment from which the occupant is absent.

When the occupant is at home the pull 42 is operated and switch throws its switch arm 43 to the dotted line position in Fig. 4 fwhereupon actuation of switch I5 will provide a closed circuit in which the mechanism of chimes 3| is in circuit and providing a greater resistance in the circuit. Under these conditions solenoid 20 will be insufciently energized to raise armature 25 and plate A28. Glow lamp 25 will again be energized to illuminate the exposed indicia 29. Thus the caller verifies the correctness of his signal at the same time the chime mechanism 3| is operating interiorly of the apartment.

The operativeness of a door signal system embodying the invention is assured in any normal installation due to the fact that the winding of solenoid 2|! is of coarser wire and of fewer turnsthan will be found `in the conventional chime solenoids or in electric door bells. These are usually arranged to operate on a transformer output of from four (4) to six (6) volts. Solenoid 20 being of lesser resistance than such chime mechanism as 3|, said solenoid 20 is fully energized to lift plate 28 only when the greater re- 'sistance of the chime mechanism 3| is cut out of circuit by switch arm i3 or its equivalent. Any switching means (not shown) selectively connecting any point on conductor 36 with any point on conductor 34 or conductor 39 could be used in lieu of -or in addition to switch il if desired for the purpose controlling operation of plate 28 from a location within the apartment remote from chime 3|. However, the canopy type switch with a pull cord is admirably adapted to direct 4 and ornamental mounting on the chime mechanism and it eliminates the necessity of access to concealed wiring in the building.

What is claimed is:

l. Door signal mechanism comprising a casing adapted for mounting adjacent an entry door, a push `button switch mounted on the front of the leasing, said casing having a window aperture adjacent its top, a vertically mounted solenoid coil in the upper part of the `casing immediately behind the window, an armature reciprocable in the coil and normally depending gravitationally out of the coil, an L-shaped, non-magnetic annunciator plate xed to the armature and having its major body portion co-eXtensive with said coil and provided on one face with indicia visible through the window in the casing when the armature is in its lowered position, and further having other indicia below the rstmentioned indicia, and adapted to be raised to a position of visibility through said window by movement 'of the armature from its lowered position a conductor connecting one pole of the push button switch with one end of the solenoid, the other end of said solenoid adapted for connection with an electrically operable chime signal means of greater electrical resistance than said solenoid coil, and a conductor connected to the remaining pole of the push button switch and adapted for connection with a source of electrical energy for said chime signal means.

2. Door signal installation comprising an electrically operable chime mechanism, a source of electrical supply suitable for actuating the chime mechanism, a push button casing, a push button switch in the casing having a window aperture in the front wall, a vertical solenoid coil mounted in the casing directly behind the center of said window and having appreciably lower resistance than said chime mechanism, conductor means connecting the poles of the push 'button switch in series with the solenoid coil, chime mechanism and the source of electrical supply whereby operation of the push button switch normally actuates the electric chime mechanism and only weakly energizes the solenoid in the casing, a switch selectively operable for short-circuiting the electric chime mechanism whereby the chime mechanism is rendered inoperative and the solenoid coil is strongly energized, said casing having a rwindow in front of the solenoid, a non-magnetic plate disposed within the casing intermediate said window and said solenoid and having superposed indicia selectively visible through the window as said plate is raised and lowered, said plate at all times concealing the coil and substantially closing the window, and an armature operable by the solenoid coil and carrying said plate.

3. Door signal means comprising a hollow push button casing, a push button mounted on the lower end of Vthe casing, a solenoid coil suspended `vertically in the upper portion of the casing, a transverse window lin the casing intermediate the top and lbottom of the solenoid coil, a plate vertically shiftable disposed principally in kparallel relation with the front of the casing and forming constant a closure for the window, an armature in the coil and having said plate rigidly secured thereto and in substantially coextensive relation to the coil whereby the plate is raised along the window upon strong energization of the coil, said plate having superposed indicia selectively visible through the window in the casing as said plate is raised and lowered, and conductor means permanently connecting the solenoid coil in series with one pole of the push button switch, the other pole of the push button switch adapted for connection with one terminal of a source of electrical energy.

4. Door signal means comprising a hollow push button casing having a transverse window, a push button mounted on the lower end of the casing, a solenoid coil suspended vertically in the upper portion of the casing, a plate disposed principally in parallel relation with the front of the casing and extending at all times across the window, an armature in the coil and having said plate rigidly secured thereto whereby the plate is raised and lowered materially between limits upon strong energization and relative deenergization of the coil, said plate having superposed indicia selectively visible through the window in the casing as said plate is raised and lowered by strong energization and gravity respectively conductor means permanently connecting the solenoid coil in series with one pole of the push button switch, a branch circuit conductor and a glow lamp in series therewith mounted within the casing for illuminating said plate, the other pole of the push button switch adapted for connection with one terminal of a source of electrical enelgy.

5. A door signal control comprising a casing having a window therein, a push button switch mounted in said casing, a solenoid coil of low electrical resistance mounted in depending and closely spaced relation. behind the window in said casing, a vertical armature in said coil, a light weight non-magnetic plate constantly disposed intermediate said window and said coil and provided with an integral @bracket i'lXed to said armature, means limiting gravitational descent of said plate and armature, the plate having indicia identifying the householder disposed in registry with said window when the plate rests on said limiting means, said plate having the legend out disposed below and in non-registry with the window in said position of the plate, an electrical connection between one terminal of the push button and one end of said coil, the remaining terminal of said push button and the remaining end of said coil being adapted for connection into a series electrical circuit with a chime mechanism and an electrical power source, and a l Ving and connected in series with the ends of said conductors, an alternative visual signal member shiftably mounted in said casing, and an armature in said coil and connected to the signal member for directly shifting the said member to selected positions of visibility as the coil is strongly energized and relatively deenergized.

7. In combination a casing having a window therein, a plate movable across said windowv andy bearing indicia alternately visible through the window as the plate is disposed at opposite limits of its movement, a glow lamp in the casing for illuminating the indicia, an electrical chime mechanism remote from the casing, a switch member for selectively establishing a shunt circuit across the terminals of said chime mechanism, a power source having one terminal thereof connected with one terminal of said chime mechanism and also with one terminal of said glow lamp in the casing, a pair of electrical conductors connected respectively to the remaining terminals of said power source and said chime mechanism, said conductors being extended to said casing, a push button and a solenoid coil of lesser resistance than said chime mechanism disposed in the casing and connected in series with the ends of said conductors, a branch connector connected intermediate the coil and the push; button and to the remaining terminal of the glow lamp, and an armature disposed in the solenoid coil and rigidly connected with said movable plate.

8. In combination a solenoid coil, a push button switch closely spaced in vertical relation thereto, a shallow casing covering and supporting said coil, and switch and having a Window immediately in front of the coil, an armature reciprocable in the coil as said coil is energized and de-energized, and an L-shaped non-magnetic indicia plate secured to the armature and shiftable thereby to alternately expose selected areas of one face thereof through said window, said plate at all times covering the entire window and the coil behind said window, indicia on said selected areas, and means to energize the coil.

WILLIAM C. GUSTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,160,496 Caspar Nov. 16, 1915 1,207,944 Lemp et al Dec. 12, 1916 1,240,380 Singer Sept. 18, 1917 1,231,537 Murphy et al June 26, 1917 1,257,646 Smith Feb. 26, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 28,824 Great Britain July 20, 1911 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,487,541 November 8, 1949 I WILLIAM C. GUSTIN It is hereby certied that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, lines 36 and 37, strike out the Words having a Window aperture in the front Wall and insert the same in line 35, after casing and before the comma; lines 64 and 65, for a plate vertically shiftable read a 'vertically shjtable plate;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case 1n the Patent Ol-ice. Signed and sealed this 28th day of February, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

